Chapter 2079

Little Mia shrank into Xia De's arms again, with only the upper half of its face exposed. While looking around, it noticed the burning campfire. The flame seemed to be parked in the cat's large amber eyes, but it didn't pounce out of Xia De's arms very well-behaved.

Because the cat doesn't like rain.

Of course, because it was really dark all around, Xia De didn't notice that when Little Mia appeared, the god fishing on the sea surface seemed to turn slightly to look at it. But this didn't matter, he took Miss Theresa and had already awakened the other three ladies.

Their mental state was very poor, at least much worse than Miss Theresa, who could still cry, be shy, and be curious. After being awakened by Xia De, they didn't know what they had done during the coma, and only when they reached out to warm themselves by the campfire could their spirits be lifted a little.

Fortunately, their memories were still normal, and they remembered what happened when Xia De came last time, as well as the fishing and the investigation of the sinking of the "Radiant Messenger".

Xia De only had half an hour and didn't have time to provide psychological counseling for everyone. So after their emotions stabilized temporarily, he asked his question:

"Did you remember any new details while I was away? Before the ship sank, was there really no sign at all? Miss Theresa just recalled that Her Majesty Violet once said that two months ago, traces of the deep-sea evil thing - Player of Seven Tails, appeared on the route of the Radiant Messenger, but it was not the main body."

This was actually learned from the blonde girl's memory when fishing last time.

The pale Miss Maxim, Professor Evans, and Miss Malone recalled carefully again, but did not gain any more specific harvest.

Xia De asked a question they should have the answer to:

"The shipwreck happened at night, so what did you do before returning to your room to sleep at night?"

Miss Theresa knew that Xia De was verifying the identities of these three people, so she took the lead in saying:

"I had dinner with Vane, and then took a walk on the deck as usual. Because it was cloudy at night and I couldn't see the stars and the moon, we didn't stay outside for long and returned to the room at eight o'clock. We lived together, I read for a while, and Vane went to the kitchen to serve me hot tea during that time. It started to rain outside around 9:30, and I fell asleep in the sound of the rain."

The maid, Miss Vane Maxim, also nodded and said:

"I have been with Miss Theresa since dinner. When I went to serve hot tea, I heard the servants in the kitchen say that a storm was coming. They heard it from the sailors on the ship. I didn't rest after Miss Theresa fell asleep. I went to the kitchen again at about 9:40 to confirm the breakfast information for tomorrow morning, and went to the laundry room to take the deposited clothes. I also rested at 10:10, and it was already raining outside at that time."

This sounded like there were no doubts.

Next was Professor Evans. The life of this professor traveling alone was very monotonous:

"I returned to my room to read after dinner until I washed up and rested at 9:30. I didn't see anyone during that time, nor did I leave the room."

The first-class room had its own separate bathroom.

"Then did you notice anything unusual?"

Xia De asked again, and the professor thought for a while:

"It seemed like something went wrong outside around nine o'clock. Although the sound insulation of the cabin was very good, there was no difference for a high-level witch."

She pointed to her ears. She was a genuine twelfth-level witch and possessed a tenured professorship at the Zalas Academy of Literature at the end of the current Fifth Era. The witches of the current era were ushering in their final glory, and being able to become a professor at the academy in such an era, she was indeed very capable.

"I didn't go outside to check, but listening to the sound, it seemed like a thief appeared on the ship, but I don't know the specific situation."

When she mentioned this, Miss Maxim also added:

"I also heard about it when I went to the kitchen to serve hot tea. A lady staying in a first-class cabin was stolen from. She was traveling alone, and it was said that after returning to the room, she found that things in the room had been used, not only the teacup, but even the jewelry box, clothes, notebook, drawing board, and dressing table had been moved. Later, she checked and found that valuables were missing, but I don't know more specific things."

She only heard about it occasionally. If Professor Evans hadn't mentioned this, she wouldn't even have remembered it.

"Hmm... the missing thing wouldn't be a flawless blue gemstone, would it?"

Xia De asked hesitantly. This question was very strange, but the ladies present didn't know.

Finally, it was Miss Maggie Malone's turn. Although as an ordinary person, she didn't live in a first-class cabin, her nightlife was much richer than the witches in the first-class cabin:

"I also went to the deck to relax after dinner. I returned to the cabin after seven o'clock and played dice with the girls in the next cabin. Then... I stole a bottle of wine from the kitchen."

She pursed her lips:

"That seemed to be rum, and then I got drunk. When I woke up in a daze, the shipwreck had already happened. At that time, debris blocked the door, and I could only jump out of the window to escape."

"I remember you said that you went on vacation with your sister?"

Xia De asked, very strange why the other party's description lacked a person.

The black-haired girl lowered her head slightly, her profile reddened by the firelight:

"Yes... but that's not actually my biological sister. We are friends and usually call each other sisters. I am very worried about her, but now I still have to find a way to leave here first. Maybe she has already been rescued by other means."

Xia De and Miss Theresa looked at each other, just about to continue questioning, but didn't expect the black-haired girl to take the initiative to say:

"I got drunk early, so I don't know about the theft they mentioned. However, when I was playing dice with the girls in the next cabin in the room, I heard them say that the captain of this ship was very strange. During dinner, a girl didn't go to the restaurant because she was losing weight. When she was watching the sunset on the deck, she noticed the captain and the first mate moving a box covered with oilcloth. This is very abnormal, right? Why didn't they let the sailors move it?"

This was indeed very abnormal, but Xia De always felt that the clue she suddenly raised was like wanting to divert his attention. And when he stared at the black-haired girl, she averted her gaze embarrassedly, not daring to look at Xia De:

"That's it, I didn't lie."

This time, not only Xia De and Miss Theresa, but even Miss Maxim and Professor Evans, who were listless, saw that something was wrong with her.

And being stared at by everyone, the black-haired girl pursed her lips and looked at Xia De. She knew very well that this strange man, Xia De, was the leader here.

"Do you have anything else to tell us?"

Xia De also looked at her, so the girl "retreated" under Xia De's gaze:

"If I tell the truth, can you guarantee to protect me?"

"Did you kill anyone?"

"Of course not."

"Then at least on this ocean, I can guarantee that no one will lay a hand on you."

Miss Malone pursed her lips and nodded gently:

"Actually, I don't have any sister, and I'm not going to Silver Beach Island for vacation."

Her voice was very low:

"Maybe my head was injured when I jumped off the ship, and I lost a lot of memories before boarding the ship. I only remember that I used means to get the ticket, and then boarded the ship, wanting to get something I didn't have... It's really like this, this time it's the truth, I didn't deceive you."

Professor Evans nodded to Xia De. A twelfth-level witch was enough to see if an ordinary person was lying. What's more, professors at the academy faced students who lied because they were late or didn't hand in homework all day, and identifying lies was an instinct for them.

Therefore, it seemed that Miss Maggie Malone's previous profession was a thief.

"I didn't actually eat the dinner before the shipwreck, but wanted to take advantage of everyone going to dinner to go to the first-class cabin to try my luck and see if I could find what I wanted."

"So, is the thief the professor and the others heard about you?"

Miss Theresa, who was leaning on Xia De, asked, and Miss Malone shook her head hurriedly:

"It's not me, it's definitely not me. Please listen to me, I went to the first-class cabin, because I heard there were witches on the ship, I didn't dare to break the door lock, and it happened that a door was not locked, so I went in. But there was someone in the room at the time! A beautiful blue-eyed girl sitting in front of the dressing table."

She tried her best to describe the girl's beauty:

"She was really beautiful, with golden hair, blue eyes, and wearing a white dress. I was scared at the time, she turned her head and smiled at me, and then I walked in in a daze... I swear I didn't steal anything."

"What did you do in the room?"

Xia De asked, the black-haired girl's face turned red, and she stammered:

"She was really beautiful, I felt from the bottom of my soul that she was beautiful. She also praised me for being beautiful, and invited me to go for a walk outside. We went to the deck together to watch the sunset, and she told me about her fear of death. The sunset was really beautiful, later I didn't quite remember how we returned to the room. After that... she said my clothes were too old-fashioned, took out clothes for me to change, put on makeup for me, and then... she said she wanted to paint an oil painting for me.

Seeing five pairs of eyes—the cat was also looking here—staring at her, she pursed her lips again:

"It was that kind of naked oil painting. After seven o'clock, we wandered around the ship together again. I said I felt lonely, and she also said her attachment to this world, and then... we returned to my room. The lower cabin was a room with four beds. My luck was very good because it was close to the steam engine room and the noise was loud, so the other beds were empty and not sold, so we two were in that room... After that, I fell asleep. When I woke up, it was pitch black all around, the ship was shaking violently, and she disappeared. After that, I was forced to jump off the ship, and I swam desperately towards the firelight before I came here."